Catholic Fire

June 22 is the feast of Sts.Thomas More, martyr, and John Fisher, bishop and martyr. St. Thomas More was born in London, England and was Chancellor of King Henry VIII. He was a devoted, loving husband and father and a dedicated public servant. St. John Fisher studied Theology in Cambridge and became Bishop of Rochester. He and his friend St. Thomas More gave up their lives in testimony to defend Church unity and the indissolubility of the sacrament of Matrimony. Both men had well-formed consciences and were willing to die for the Truth. St. Thomas More Thomas More was born in 1478, son of the lawyer and judge John More and his wife Agnes. He received a classical education from the age of six, and at age 13 became the protege of Archbishop John Morton, who also served an important civic role as the Lord Chancellor. Although Thomas never joined the clergy, he would eventually come to assume the position of Lord Chancellor himself. More received a well-rounded college ...

In The Four Keys to Everlasting Love: How Your Catholic Marriage Can Bring You Joy for a Lifetime , Manuel (Manny) and Karee Santos share the secrets of securing a lifetime of authentic love and mutual joy in marriage. Karee Santos, a marriage columnist, and Dr. Manuel Santos, a psychiatrist who has been counseling couples for more than fifteen years, have teamed up to compose a comprehensive manual which enables couples to find a deep, lasting, and satisfying love through a sacramental marriage. The Four Keys to Everlasting Love was written for both engaged couples preparing for marriage as well as couples in all seasons of marriage. Using real-life stories, biblical principles, the Catechism of the Catholic Church, and the teachings of St. John Paul II, the Santoses witness to the significance of a sacramental marriage. The Santoses effectively accomplish this by telling their own captivating story: how they overcame personality, culture, and religious differences; how they lea...

Welcome to Sunday Snippets--A Catholic Carnival! We are a group of Catholic bloggers who gather weekly to share our best posts with each other and answer a question. Be sure to visit RAnn at This, That and the Other Thing to check out the great posts from other bloggers participating in Sunday Snippets this week. Question of the Week: Share a family sacramental memory--the cute thing the kid said, the cake at the party, your in your wedding dress, the family gathered around the baby--anything is fair game as long as it at least sort of involved a sacrament. This is a photo of our wedding on June 27, 1992 -- 22 years ago. The deacon is standing directly behind me and the pastor, who married us, is directly behind my husband. For my women readers Here is a close-up look at my wedding dress and bouquet: My posts for this week include: Who was St. Bruno -- the Patron against Diabolic Possession? Fifteen Favorite Rosary Quotes for the Feast of Our Lady of the Rosa...

One by one, the brides walked alongside their fathers, into St. Peter's Basilica...as the grooms waited for their soon to be wives. A total of 20 couples, all of them from Rome, were married by Pope Francis. POPE FRANCIS "It is a demanding journey, at times difficult, and at times turbulent, but such is life!” It's the first time in 14 years that a Pope has celebrated a public wedding ceremony in the Basilica. He said that even though there will be challenges, marriage is a gift and the foundation of society. "He reminded me of so many things that you tend to forget after being married for so long. It's a way to renew the enthusiasm and energy.” "It was beautiful ceremony!” Gaetano di Sangi is one of hundreds of guests, who made their way to Rome, to celebrate the big day with the newlyweds. His nephew was married and family flew in from New York. "We need the Pope to do these things in this period of moral and social decay.” Interes...

On September 14th, Pope Francis will marry 20 couples from the diocese of Rome. It is a rare occasion at the Vatican. The last time that a wedding ceremony like this was celebrated was with John Paul II. The future newlyweds will respond to several questions that will be asked during the rite. Shortly after, each couple will be married one by one by the Pope, who has had no shortage of advice for newly married couples. POPE FRANCIS October 4, 2013 "I always give this advice to newlyweds: argue about anything you want, if the plates fly, they fly. But never let the day end without making peace. Never!” He also never forgets to give advice to newlyweds during his Wednesday General Audiences. "Communication is the most important thing." "Always forgive each other, trust, have patience." "What touched me the most about the audience was that the Pope said that we all sin and that we should also forgive." The family is one of the central...

Trenton, N.J., Jan 8, 2014 / 02:02 am (CNA/EWTN News).- A new survey shows an increase in likely U.S. voters who see marriage as a religious institution, with a majority now holding this view. Rasmussen Reports’ Dec. 22 national survey of 1,000 U.S. likely voters found that a majority – 53 percent of respondents – said marriage is a religious institution. This is an increase from 48 percent in October. Another 40 percent saw marriage as a civil institution, down from 45 percent in October. About 77 percent of respondents said they are married or have been at some point in their lives. This correlated to their views of the institution. About 57 percent of ever-married respondents said marriage is a religious institution, while the never-married tended to see it as a civil institution. A large majority of Republicans and a small majority of unaffiliated voters said marriage is a religious institution, while a small majority of Democrats said it is civil in nature. Men and res...

The United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) is asking Catholics to pray, fast, and abstain from meat on Friday, November 8, for engaged couples , “that they may recognize the high calling of their unique vocation to love one another as Christ loves the Church.” In a reflection published along with the weekly request for prayers, the USCCB notes that “the marriage of one man and one woman is not a temporary contract or something that can be ended if a husband or wife “falls out of love.’” Rather, “the bond of marriage is all-encompassing,” and the marriage vow is indissoluble. Married couples, the USCCB observes, participate in the love of the Trinity, which is eternal. In December 2012, the US bishops announced a call to prayer and penance whose “overall focus is to invite Catholics to pray for rebuilding a culture favorable to life and marriage and for increased protections of religious liberty. Campaign components include monthly Eucharistic holy hours in cathe...

Image Source The secular press is going crazy about this one , but, as Catholics, we all know what this is about. It's about true faith and self-giving love which come with the vows we make in the sacrament of matrimony. It's about becoming one with your spouse and committing yourself to a lifetime bond, which is something that is rare in our culture today. It is a beautfully inspiring story we all need to hear. Here is the scoop from Fox News: A grandson of an Ohio couple who died at a nursing home on the same day after 65 years of marriage credits their faith in God for the “shocking” timing. Jeff Simon, 20, of Russia, Ohio, told FoxNews.com that his grandparents, Ruth, 89, and Harold “Doc” Knapke, 91, met in the third grade and continued a torrid love affair until Aug. 11, when the devoted pair died just days before their 66th wedding anniversary in the room they shared on a nursing home in Versailles in western Ohio. "It was very hard to see them both go a...

we were celebrating THIS Thanks be to God for the Sacrament of Matrimony !

Today is the feast of Sts.Thomas More, martyr and John Fisher, bishop and martyr. St. Thomas More was born in London, England and was Chancellor of King Henry VIII. He was a devoted, loving husband and father and a dedicated public servant. St. John Fisher studied Theology in Cambridge and became Bishop of Rochester. He and his friend St. Thomas More gave up their lives in testimony to defend Church unity and the indissolubility of the sacrament of Matrimony. Both men had well-formed consciences and were willing to die for the Truth. St. Thomas More Thomas More was born in 1478, son of the lawyer and judge John More and his wife Agnes. He received a classical education from the age of six, and at age 13 became the protege of Archbishop John Morton, who also served an important civic role as the Lord Chancellor. Although Thomas never joined the clergy, he would eventually come to assume the position of Lord Chancellor himself. More received a well-rounded college educat...

Marriage is like a beautiful gilded bird cage. All the Little birds on the outside want to get in, while all the Little birds on the inside want to get out! This saying, by an author unknown to me, summarizes accurately the state of marriage today. Marriage is still an attractive and useful institution, and millions of couples each year begin the journey. At the same time, however, at least half of those who enter the “gilded bird cage” find themselves wanting to get out, their marriage ending in separation and divorce. Check out the rest of this wonderful article at CNA: Matrimony: Is it Still Holy? by Bishop Thomas J. Tobin .